Commanding Presence Of Tupou Vaa'i In The All Blacks Lineout
By Mohamed Bahaa
The All Blacks looked to their younger players to cover the vacancy in the second row during the recent Tests against Argentina as captain Scott Barrett sidelined and Patrick Tuipulotu injured. Chiefs lock Tupou Vaa'si, Blues lock Sam Darry, and Josh Lord—who came off the bench—were in charge of maintaining team standards in one of rugby's most critical areas: the lineout.
Despite losing the Test in Wellington, the All Blacks' lineout demonstrated incredible efficiency especially with the starters on the field. While in Auckland Tupou Vaa’i and Ethan Blackadder led the charge with four successful takes each, Codie Taylor's connection with Sam Darry proved to be a major component of their strategy.
Head coach Scott Robertson expressed his satisfaction with his young lock’s performance, especially regarding the 24-year-old Tupou Vaa'i, who has been assigned the critical lineout call duties. “Sam Darry, he stepped right up, didn’t he?” Robertson commented in the post-match press conference. “I think, Tupou Vaa’i, his lineout calling the last two Tests has been remarkable. The amount of work he puts into it, he’s smart, backs his call, we’re really pleased for him.”
Robertson also mentioned Josh Lord's comeback, whose presence on the bench has been comforting for the team particularly considering the protracted absence of important players such as Barrett and Tuipulotu. “They are big men and big men take a little bit longer than others, so it’s good to get them a bit of time, and it’s good to have Scooter [Scott Barrett] come back next week as well. Just some depth in that area.”
Sam Whitelock's responsibilities in guiding the lineout have been taken up by Tupou Vaa'i, whose performance has been outstanding. The All Blacks secured 16 out of 17 lineouts on their own throw at Eden Park, where Vaa'i performed the complete 80 minutes, evidence of Vaa'i's growing acumen in reading the game. They nevertheless achieved 17 out of 20 successful lineouts even in Wellington, with some late-game nerves with the reserves on.
The squad does admit, though, that some execution mistakes—especially in the maul formations— leading to turnovers. As they get ready for their forthcoming tour to South Africa, where the Springboks' strong lineout disruptors await, this will be a priority area of focus.
Maintaining the All Blacks' competitive edge on the international scene will depend critically on the new leadership of Tupou Vaa'i and the efforts of the younger players as they look ahead.
JUDY ROTICH